Six arrested after police officer robbed of state-issued firearms in Fort Beaufort

Mar 26, 2019

Fort Beaufort - Six male suspects, aged between 18 and 25, were arrested and charged with armed robbery and illegal possession of firearms on Monday by Fort Beaufort police.

"This arrest followed after a police officer attached to Adelaide SAPS was robbed on Friday while waiting for transport at Fort Beaufort/Adelaide intersection," police spokesperson, Captain Khaya Tonjeni.

"It is alleged that five young men approached the member with one of them carrying a firearm and instructed him to lie down.

"They robbed him all his possession, including a bag he carried with him, which had two state issued firearms, one belonging to him and one to his spouse, who is also a police member."

Capt Tonjeni said that upon reception of this information, Operational Command Centre members followed up on the case without success.

"On Saturday, information about sale of firearms at a nearby Fort Beaufort township, Newtown, was received and police officers made follow ups," he said.

"OCC and Crime Intelligence traced one of the two stolen firearms hidden under an old vehicle in a scrapyard.

Responding to the 2018/2019 annual Crime Statics released by the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, on Thursday - which also painted a bleak picture about safety in the Eastern Cape province, Premier, Oscar Mabuyane, said there...